May 8, 2009
Press Release
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate
6252 Honolulu Avenue
La Crescenta, CA 91214
Tel: (818) 248-7737
Fax: (818) 248-7745
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
PRELATE TO PRESIDE OVER DIVINE LITURGY
AT ST. GARABED CHURCH
Sunday, May 10th, is the Feast of the Apparition of the Holy Cross,
as well as Mother’s Day. On this occasion, H.E. Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian, Prelate will preside over Divine Liturgy at St. Garabed Church
in Hollywood and will deliver his sermon and well wishes to the faithful.
PRELACY 37TH REPRESENTATIVES ASSEMBLY
TO CONVENE ON MAY 15
The Prelacy 37th Representatives Assembly will convene on Friday,
May 15th, at the "Dikran and Zarouhie Der Ghazarian" Hall, hosted by St.
Gregory Church of San Francisco.
During the two-day assembly, delegates will hear reports on the
activities of our parishes, schools, and committees over the past year, and
will discuss plans for the upcoming term.
The annual clergy conference which precedes the Representatives
Assembly will take place on Wednesday, May 13th, at the "Yeghia Sarafian"
hall of Holy Martyrs Church in Encino, during which clergy members will
draft suggestions and proposals to present to the forthcoming Assembly.
ACYA MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN ORTHODOX DAY OF PRAISE
On Saturday, May 16th, the second annual Orthodox Day of Praise will
take place at St. Peter and St. Paul Coptic Orthodox Church in Santa Monica,
with the participation of youth from the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox
Churches.
The gathering is scheduled to begin with Divine Liturgy, following
which members of each church will sing hymns in their respective languages.
Members of the ACYA and youth choir will participate in the event.
PRELATE TO ATTEND 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF
A.R.S. "MAYR" CHAPTER
On the evening of Sunday, May 17th, the Los Angeles "Mayr" Chapter
of the Armenian Relief Society will celebrate its 90th anniversary at
"Palladio" Hall inGlendale.
The Prelate will be in attendance and will convey his blessings.
PRESENTATION OF PROFESSOR HARUT BARSAMIAN’S "RESURRECTION WITH CANE AND
SHOE"
Under the auspices of H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian,
Prelate, on the afternoon of Sunday, May 3rd, 2009, the presentation of
Prof. Harut Barsamian’s memoirs Resurrection with Cane and Shoe took place
at the Prelacy "Dikran and Zarouhie Der Ghazarian" Hall. The event was
organized by the Western Prelacy Outreach Committee.
The program began with opening remarks by Chairman of the Outreach
Committee Mr. Herair Jermakian, who gave a brief explanation on the
objective of the Outreach Committee and the types of events it organizes
throughout the year to foster the mission of the Prelacy. Mr. Jermakian
then invited Executive Council Chairman and Master of Ceremonies Dr. Garo
Agopian to the podium.
Dr. Agopian gave an overview of the momentous phases in Prof.
Barsamian’s life, the details of which are recorded in the book, then
invited the first speaker, renowned engineer and Professor Mihran Agbabian
to present the book in Armenian.
In presenting the book, Professor Agbabian spoke of Prof.
Barsamian’s life from his birth in Aleppo, to his move to Beirut, to the
family’s repatriation to Soviet Armenia where the author and his family
experienced overwhelming challenges under the oppressive regime, and his
eventual settlement in America where he underwent a "resurrection", becoming
a sought after academician and professor of Engineering and Computer
Science. Professor Agbabian noted that despite his struggles and
disillusionment while living in Soviet Armenia, Prof. Barsamian remained and
remains to this day a true patriot and continues to offer his assistance and
contributes to the progress and prosperity of Armenia. He concluded by
thanking the author for allowing readers a glimpse into his extraordinary
life and experiences.
Dr. Agopian invited the next speaker, prominent aerospace engineer
Mr. Dickran Barsam, to offer his remarks in English. Mr. Barsam outlined
the hardship and misfortune the family experienced as repatriates in Soviet
Armenia, including the author’s father’s exile and later the author’s exile
to Siberia, noting the author’s optimism and jovial disposition amid that
adversity and his eventual triumph and rebirth.
The program also featured musical presentations by sisters Armine
Nerkararyan (violin) and Kenarik Nerkararyan (song), accompanied on the
piano by Anna Vorovich.
Mrs. Mary Terzian and Mr. Sarkis Mahserejian were subsequently
invited to the podium to offer their comments on the book.
The program closed with the Prelate’s remarks and benediction. The
Prelate acclaimed the author for his unwavering faith, optimism, and
perseverance in rising above his physical disability and the unbelievable
challenges he faced throughout his life to achieve his dreams and reach
great heights. The Prelate further noted that through it all, the family
retained their love of their homeland and Armenian heritage. In addition,
the Prelate highly commended Prof. Barsamian for his devotion to the welfare
of future generations of Armenian students as evidenced by his establishing
the "Harut Barsamian Disabled Armenian Students Scholarship Fund".
The program concluded with the Prelate’s benediction, after which
the author met with the guests and autographed copies of his book.